Aspects of the disclosure relate to computing technologies. In particular, aspects of the disclosure relate to mobile computing device technologies, such as systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media of oral or intraoral computing and communications technology.
In anatomy, the area known as “the mouth” is a nexus of biological processes, and can be capable of great sensation, dexterity, and communication—abilities that could be used for fine control, interaction, and exchange of information. However, its harsh, dynamic and vulnerable environment makes presenting a user interface to, and maintaining direct, prolonged access to the abilities and perspective of the mouth a difficulty.
Mouth-activated communications devices and orally-disposed controllers can be connected to and used to control such devices as wheelchairs, computers, and text-to-speech devices, and the like. This communication typically happens through a wired connection. These mouth-activated communications devices are limiting in their ability to connect without cumbersome wires. These mouth-activated communications devices are also limiting in their ability to be integrated with and used as part of an everyday life and/or lifestyle, as they block and/or hinder normal body functions and operation such as eating, talking, breathing, etc. These devices are also limiting in that they engage and/or occupy the user's tongue outside the range of its normal activities in actions for input. Mouth-activated communications devices are also limiting in that they are not based on the tongue, so they can't make use of the tongue-centric perspective, data, and/or capabilities (like the ability to track motions of the tongue from the perspective of the tongue (such as orientation during speech) and the input that can be gathered from this perspective, the shape-changing abilities of the tongue around a piercing, the range of sensory and control capabilities of the full tongue (as opposed to just the tip of the tongue) the dexterity of the tongue (such as rotation, curling, etc.), and/or the ability of the tongue to be split into two independently mobile halves), can't be combined in multiple instances on the tongue and/or other areas of the mouth.
Orally-disposed communications devices and mouth-activated controllers can often be linked to other devices, however their functionality is usually limited to sending data to these other devices for control or logging purposes, wherein no feedback or dynamic oral user interface is communicated to or communicates with the wearer. These orally-disposed communications devices and mouth-activated controllers are limiting in their lack of delivery of feedback of a user interface or information about the controlled device to the user. Accordingly, further advances in intraoral processing and communications devices have been needed.
Embodiments of the invention help solve these and other problems.